Why would you say this?

Quote from Joey Dorsey referencing Freshman Greg Oden. "I'm Goliath," Dorsey said, smiling wide. "He's the little man." Confidence is one thing, but this is pure stupidity. Why go and rattle the cage of a rabid sleeping raccoon? There is no question that Oden has struggled in the tournament and possibly slipping to the number 2 pick in the draft behind Durant in the process. He is in a funk. My gut is a quote like this will help getting him out of it. The best thing about this quote is that Goliath loses the fight with David. Nice going Dorsey.

Saturday games:

OHIO STATE -2 vs. Memphis
The quote from Dorsey will help Oden. On top of that I will take Lewis, Butler and Conley over CDR and Anderson.

KANSAS -2 vs. Ucla
Ucla will no doubt impose their defensive will on the Jayhawks. They will disrupt their flow and make it tough for them to score at times. A team that has Aaron Afflalo will always be in a game. There is comfort in knowing who your go to guy is at the end of the game. But, KU is simply too talented and will come at the Bruins with an offense they have not seen in the Pac 10 this season. They play good defense as well.

No Fab Five here!

Coming into the tournament, my biggest concern with Ohio State was the friction between the upper class and the freshman class for the Buckeyes. Oden and Conley and Cook wanted to do things their way, but Lewis and Butler and Harris were not ready to turn the keys over to the kids. I thought this friction would hurt them, but it has not as they are still dancing, and possibly getting stronger through their veteran leadership. They will have their hands full with Memphis, who knocked off my beloved Aggies team. Money’s favorite Money player, Acie Law missed a lay-up to ice the game. He has since been cut from my team. With the Aggies out, look for Memphis to make it to the Final game versus Kansas, who will still cut down the nets.

Great games yesterday. Hats off to Chris Lowry (Fat guy in a little coat) and Southern Illinois for diving all over the floor making for an exciting afternoon of basketball. Oh, and speaking of the Jayhawks, get in on them early (KU -2) before the line goes up. They will destroy UCLA, who won’t have the home court advantage everyone believes is present in San Jose.

FLORIDA -10.5 vs. Butler
Butler is simply no match for Florida. I still don’t like the way Florida is playing though.

HOYAS -8 vs. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt will have to play a near perfect game for the upset. To cover the spread, they will have to shoot over 50% from the floor and behind the arc. Won’t happen.

OREGON -3 vs. Unlv
I love this game. Oregon is playing at such a high level right now. Their confidence is through the roof. UNLV is playing well too, but they have fewer players that can make a difference.

USC +8 vs. North Carolina
North Carolina will dominate inside, but have no answer for the speed and athleticism on the perimeter for USC. Money is calling for the upset here.

Picking Winners!

Did someone say this was easy? I guess that is why they have point spreads, and huge casinos where every owner is making money hand over fist.

What did we learn last night? Kansas showed that they are a complete team with the victory last night. The game plan in the second half, don't play team ball, just drag the Salukis to the hoop, worked! They keep finding ways to win in the face of adversity.

Understatement of the year "Brandon Rush is pretty effective." 6 for 6 from the floor!

UCLA is good enough to get back to the final, but I still don't think it will happen.

Memphis and Ohio State are 33-3 for a reason. They know how to win, no matter who they are playing, who is hurt, who is in foul trouble, etc...

By the way, I know Dorsey is huge, but does anyone else think he should be wearing his jersey at the end of the game instead of a wife-beater t-shirt!?

Oh, and the other thing we learned is that it is difficult for favorites to cover big spreads as the tournament goes on.

Today's winners straight up.

Florida, Georgetown, UNC, UNLV

Today's Winners ATS-

Game 1. Butler +10.5
Game 2. Vanderbilt +8
Game 3. UNLV +3
Game 4. USC + 8

Let's keep this simple. Take the points.

Game 1- Florida doesn't need to play 40 minutes to win, so they won't. They win the game, but not by double digits.

Game 2. Vanderbilt will hit enough 3's to stay in the game, and the last one will get the spread to 4-6 points, Georgetown wins, but no cover. Hibbert and Green can score inside, and defend the paint, but they can't block 3-pointers from 10 feet away!

Game 3. Lon Kruger is a much better coach than Ernie Kent. Period! They win outright. They have been tested in the last 2 games!

Game 4. Too many points for UNC to cover. Rayshawn Terry is sick, he will try to play, but will take a few ill advised shots and will forget to cover the 3 point shooters from USC. Pruitt and Young will make the shots that keep this game close. By the way, Tim Floyd can prepare a team. Roy Williams will count on his superior athletic ability and size, but the double teams will take Hansborough out of his game. UNC wins on the put back lay-ups and dunks by Brandon Wright.

Dog Friday!

B. Anthony
(121-104-4)

23 Minutes of hell

There are simply some teams that I am not impressed with. Particularly Florida and UCLA, both teams that spent time as the #1 team in the country over the course of the year. As I have stated all year long, Florida’s weakness (if we have to pick one out) is there ability to turn on or off their game. The “turning off” is what I consider their weakness and when they play somebody good, they will be exposed and likely lose. Fortunately for the gators, this match up most likely won’t come until the Final Four where they will match up against Kansas, and ultimately lose.

The other disappointing team has been UCLA. They are really struggling, having lost their last two games prior to the tournament, beating Belmont and then struggling to score against a mediocre Indiana team. Yes, their defense has been tight, but they can’t score and it is not likely to change today versus Pitt.

There is no reason to think that these teams will shape up now. They are who they are, and they are both good teams that won’t make it to the championship game.

Thursday’s games:

KANSAS -9 vs. Southern Illinois
How can you bet against Kansas right now? They are arguably playing the most complete basketball of anyone left in the country. Southern Illinois will keep things close with their smothering man to man defense, but they simply do not have the offensive firepower to keep up with KU, and will ultimately lose by double digits.

MEMPHIS +3 vs. Texas A&M
This game will be close, but ultimately won by the Aggies. Memphis is very similar to Louisville but better in almost every capacity. A&M showed tremendous poise in beating Louisville at Kentucky, and now they have the luxury of playing 2 ½ hours away from their campus in San Antonio. Memphis’ point guard (and leading scorer) will play (sprained ankle), but likely won’t be 100%. I don’t expect Memphis to shoot their free throws as well as they did in the last game, as they are one of the worst in the country in performing this task. Every point will count, and A&M will eek out a win.

PITTSBURGH +3.5 vs. Ucla
Nobody will be able to stop Aaron Gray for UCLA. The problem is that he has not been that great himself thus far. If Gray stays out of foul trouble and has a good game, Pitt wins. I don’t expect him to do both though. UCLA is doing the same thing they did last year; not scoring and winning ugly. This comes down to two players; Gray and Afflalo. Whoever plays better, their team will win. Afflalo is among the best Money players in the NCAA, and as ugly as it is, he will find a way to win this game. I will still take the points though.

TENNESSEE +5 vs. Ohio State
These two teams played earlier in Columbus. Ohio State won 68-66 and Oden had 24 points and 15 rebounds. I don’t expect much to change from Oden’s game. I do expect Tennessee to shoot the ball better as they shot just 7 of 31 from behind the arc.

They're Back!

The return of the tournament is back to bring us some relief. Can we learn anything from the NIT this week? I think yes. The four # 1 seeds are going to Madison Square Garden, and it is possible this could happen in the NCAA as well.

Let's just get to the games today!

Kansas -9 vs SIU. This is clearly the best team with the greatest depth. The Salukis will give them a test, and gamblers around the world hope that it lasts for 20 minutes. The best bet of the tournament will be Kansas 2nd half tonight. They will win by double digits!

Memphis + 3 vs Texas A&M. I think this will be a very close game. Memphis is underrated defensively. They will make it difficult to score in the paint and will have a chance at the end to win this game. I have been touting them all year, so I won't go away from it. The likely scenario is that they lose a close game because they miss free throws, but I am going to go out on a limb and say that they make just enough to cover this line, and possible squeak an upset. ( The truth of the matter is that Money really needs A&M to win this game, and his luck has just not been that good!)

Pittsburgh +3.5 vs UCLA. I just decided that I want to cheer against UCLA. Everyone always says that the mentor, Howland, will beat his young jedi, Dixon. But the truth is, the young kid is good. He probably did a lot of the recruiting for Howland, and he has the better post player. We are talking about a grind it out type of game. Pitt is shooting the 3 very well, and UCLA is not. This game will be the one where it finally catches up to UCLA. Last year, UCLA ruined the tournament by beating Gonzaga and turning the rest of the tournament into the anti-offense display. It won't happen this year.

Ohio State -5 vs Tennessee. The Hate for Bruce Pearl is still there, but this is simply a vote of confidence for Greg Oden and Mike Conley. Oden had a broken wrist 3 months ago vs Tennessee and he had 25 points, 14 boards, and 5 blocks. It is going to get ugly tonight. My biggest concern is that he may rip the rim off the basket in the early 2nd half, and I will have to stay up several hours to see the end of the game. Tennessee is not playing at home, and I have seen enough Rocky Top for now! OSU 82-67!

Out,

B. Athony
(120-101-4 ytd) Coming back!

Whoa Nellie!

Everyone in the NBA is trying to tamper with College basketball. Why is it important to talk to Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. I think these guys should spend more time trying to rig the lottery results!

I have been told that the NIT is not for gaming, and my performance last night shows it. B. Anthony has done the math for his last few days in the NCAA and NIT tournaments. His once proud numbers are dropping.

My last few posts have netted 2-0 in NIT followed by 13-18-1 in NCAA first round, 3-5 on Sunday and 1-3 yesterday. Please see our earlier notes about opposite betting. This leaves B. Anthony with the following record.

(118-100-4 Down to 54.1%)

Let's pick some more games anyway. We are do for a comeback!

Mississippi State -6.5 vs Florida State. Take the home team, why not! This has been the trend and these games are big as winners are going to NYC to enjoy The Garden!

NC State +5.5 vs West Virginia. You have to stick with a team that consistently covers and wins as a dog. Great story, great sports coat, just plain great!

Utah Jazz-7.5 vs Warriors. Just when you think the Warriors are decent, maybe they can make the playoffs, they will get smoked!

Out,

B. Anthony

Post NCAA Tournament Depression

Well, this past weekend is only the beginning of a long 3 weekend tournament, but it pretty much feels over. The 48 games this weekend were 3/4ths of the tournament. There will be another 15 games to determine a winner, but the real excitement is over. Favorites are winning and covering, UNLV and Butler are nice stories, but can they really win it all?

Let’s talk about the teams that can win the whole thing. Kansas is playing the best, has the deepest team, and they are playing with no fear of losing. I see them playing Florida in the final four game with the winner being favored against Georgetown in the final. The Final Four will be four great teams, and everyone, including Money will be right. Florida, Kansas, Georgetown and Texas A&M will be worthy representatives of a great 2006-2007 season. I am vacillating between Kansas and Georgetown for the winner, but I will stick with Kansas for now. (Please note, I have been pimping Memphis all year, and they are still playing. They are tremendously athletic and can still get hot long enough to make it to the final four. If/when they beat A&M, they will win to get to Atlanta. I am not off their wagon.)

The only thing left to do is pick the NIT winners. There are four solid games tonight, let’s pick the entire board.

San Diego State +8 over Syracuse: The latest rumor I heard is that San Diego State players each have a new step dad when they arrive on campus. Steve Fischer and his dirty tactics continue. This comes from and SDSU recruit who just had his visit. With this type of WAM (walking around money) these players are able to compete with no worries of where they will get their next retro-jersey or meal. This helps a great deal. This line is too large despite the long trip to New York. This line will continue to move up because Up State New Yorker’s gamble a lot more than the beach goers in San Diego.

Mississippi +5 over Clemson: This story has come to an end for Clemson. The SEC has proven to be pretty strong this year, and Clemson does not rebound well enough to win and cover this line.

Air Force -6.5 over Georgia: Home cooking, 3-point shooting, and military precision! (Is that an oxymoron?) Air Force, led by someone related to John Woolery, must be solid. This is about the highest level they can expect to achieve. Like UNLV, they are a good team across the board that will keep winning.

Kansas State – 5.5 over DePaul: This team is prepping for a great run next year. They continue to build confidence with out any true superstars. When Michael Beasley shows up next year, and Bill Walker is back, they will immediately be a top 10 program! They win tonight on hard-work and intimidation alone.

Out,

B. Anthony

I will be back with tournament picks!

A New Day

B. Anthony and Money are going to stay with you through the tournament. So the favorite dominated first round is over, and yesterday showed us the true character of the tournament.

Let's review: Kansas and Florida are still dominant. Arizona and Oregon are too cocky. VCU gave a valiant effort but couldn't finish, Winthrop can and will. Wisconsin and UCLA know how to win ugly. Wisconsin will do it again. Okay, enough, let's do the eight games.

Virginia vs Tennessee. Over 154 Just take the points and watch it go up and down. Of Course I want Pearl to lose and I think Virginia can beat them, but the Over is the best play

Florida-11.5 vs Purdue. Domination continues. Purdue will battle for a while, but this is not Arizona they are playing. 88-71.

UNLV +6 vs Wisconsin. I said Wisconsin wins ugly and they do. 61-57.

Va Tech +1.5 vs SIU. This is a bit of an opposite bet. But the Hokies were terrible Friday and still won. They will be better today. It would have been nice if they could have made some layups and free throws against Illinois, they will make those today.


Memphis -5 vs Nevada. Good story for Fazekas and Nevada etc, but Memphis already had their stinky. They will get things rolling and Fazekas will be in foul trouble again. 85-73 Memphis

Memphis Over 145 This is an up and down game.

Winthrop +3 vs Oregon. This experienced team was predicted as the darling of the tournament, and everyone was right. They win outright. Take them first half, take them for the game, and take them money line!

Big 12:

Texas -3 vs USC. This will be an epic battle but Texas shoots great free-throws. Take the Horns and if you like totals, take the Over 147 as well. Side Bet- Durant gets over 35!!!!!!!!!!

Kansas -10 vs Kentucky. This will be another double digit, probably 20 point victory. Morris cannot play 40 minutes with these Kansas big man. They run the court way too well for him. I know the line is only 8.5, but Kansas will win big.


B. Anthony is not afraid to put his neck out there again after having it mostly chopped off the first round. Good luck today and we will be back for next weekend's extravaganza.

Out,
B. Anthony